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Security Concerns When Consoles Go Online?
VonGuard writes "I've written an article for Security Focus about the security concerns that having an Xbox or Playstation 2 on your network might raise. The article, entitled Welcome to the Jungle was an interesting experience to write. I really think that Sony will end up having some trouble from their stance on third party security design, while Microsoft might end up smelling like roses. Too bad MS shipped the Nimda virus with their Korean version of .Net Visual Studio."
damn, i'm good. remember, HE died for all our sins.
Over the next couple of months, we'll be taking a closer look at what makes the Xbox Live service so phenomenal. We know many of you have been waiting eagerly for the promise of online console gaming to be fulfilled, and this fall, it will be. We also think you may be tired of hearing dueling press releases and hype. So we're going to take you inside the Xbox Live team and the hard work that has gone into making the service a reality. Why would you want to take time to read these articles? We're glad you asked. Here's what playing on Xbox Live will mean to you.
It's already there.
First off, you don't need to upgrade your Xbox game system. You don't need to convince your friends to upgrade their consoles, either. The Xbox console was built from the ground up to be an online gaming system. There's a hard drive and Ethernet port built in - another example of how we packed our console with gaming goodness. Sure, it cost us extra to put them in. But check out what we're doing with it!
What's my name?
Sign up just once and access Xbox Live games with your unique name, or Gamertag. You don't have to start over with each new game you buy. You don't have to adjust to a different online experience with each game you play. You always join the online community with the same name and the same reputation you've worked hard to get. You'll start recognizing other players and making new friends. Learn from each other and you may even start climbing the rankings together.
Taunting is more fun with a recipient.
How do you know you're playing a real person? Listen for the taunts of victory and groans of defeat. The Xbox Live Communicator headset allows you to use your voice like never before. The headset allows for games to do really amazing things, like changing the sound of your voice. Want to intimidate your opponents with a deep, threatening voice? Always wish you could sound like a robot? It's easy to do. Did your parents tell you not to talk to strangers? Chat only with your friends while you play. Shout out strategic commands to your teammates - it's way faster than trying to type them. (Do try to mute yourself before muttering about their incompetence.) If your game character is in a cave, your voice could echo off the walls. Catch up with old friends while you play. Who knew chatting with distant relatives could be this fun?
Socialize to survive.
Xbox Live allows you to add other gamers to your Friends List. Enjoy competing with a particular player? Invite them to be your friend with a couple button presses from the pause menu. It's also easy to see if your friends are online and even what game they're playing. If they're already in a game, you can send them an invitation to join you. Of course, you can always delete your friends from the list if they're not what you expected. No worries, though - you're going to make so many new friends when you go Live that your old friends had better behave themselves.
Looking for a match? Go, go, go!
Playing an Xbox Live game with friends is fast. Just choose an Xbox game that is online-enabled. Start the game and select Play Live. Sign in and have Xbox Live matchmaking find your favorite style of gameplay. It may seem like luck the first time you find a perfect game match. Don't be fooled - it's the result of our skilled team sweating the details, all for you. (More on our skilled team in the coming weeks.)
Want the first available game so you can play right away?
We've got that.
Want to look for a specific map or game type?
Check!
Don't like laggy, choppy gaming?
We sort out the slowpokes for you.
Feel like teaming up with friends and ambushing an unsuspecting group of strangers?
No problem.
Looking for opponents who are your skill level?
Of course.
Whatever you choose, Xbox Live takes care of the set-up so you can save your energy for the important stuff - having fun, winning games, and talking trash!
There's always something new.
Have you ever beaten a game that you really liked and gotten tired of it soon afterwards? Did you obtain every last item and finish every last quest? You may have gotten used to waiting a few years for the sequel to come out. Well, Xbox Live may ease some of that pain. With the ability to download new content from our servers, games may never get old. Imagine new cars, drivers, and race courses for your racing game. Maybe that first person shooter could use a new weapon, character skin, or capture-the-flag map. Role playing games could continually get new spells, equipment, or quests. Almost anything's possible. It's sort of like getting an expansion pack, but you choose only what you want. Why only get cool gifts on your birthday?
Insomnia?
With Xbox Live, you can enjoy multiplayer action with people everywhere. Thanks to the wonders of time zones, you always have a good chance of finding someone awake and ready to play. We knew there was a good reason for the earth being round.
Stay tuned for the first feature article with all the gritty details. We'll be covering all the cool things you can do with the Xbox Communicator and voice...Don't miss it.
Not for our sins, from our sins.
Dirty GNU-Linux Terrorists 0wning Non-Muslims
There is mounting evidence that individual hacker groups connected by a pro-Islamic agenda are working together to carry out hack attacks, say experts.
Security firm mi2g says an alliance of anti-Israel, anti-US and anti-India groups are increasingly highlighting issues such as the Middle East conflict, the war on terrorism and the Kashmir stand-off as part of their destructive digital attacks.
At the height of the tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir in May, two groups (Unix Security Guards and World Fantabulous Defacers) carried out a total of 111 digital attacks on Indian educational and business sites.
Security firm mi2g said political and ideological motives were increasingly behind hack attacks.
Digital tensions
Hacktivist groups
USG (Unix Security Guards) - an anti-Israel alliance responsible for 87 overt attacks since May 2002
WFD (World's Fantabulous Defacers) - a Pakistani alliance of 12 member groups responsible for 445 overt attacks since November 2000
AIC (Anti-India Crew) - a Pakistani alliance founded in July 2001, responsible for 422 attacks to date
At a round table event in London to discuss the security threats in a post-11 September world, Chief Executive of mi2g, DK Matai, said hacktivism posed one of the biggest risks to business and government computer systems.
"Political motivation is an increasingly rising factor in digital attacks," he told delegates at the forum.
"The primary reason why web attacks are increasing is political tensions between Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan and China and Taiwan."
New viruses decreasing
Israel has suffered a barrage of hack attacks since the start of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000.
An Egyptian hacker group has said it is behind the action. It began its activities shortly after 11 September.
Similar attacks happened during the Serbian conflict in 1999 when Nato and US Department of Defense networks were targeted by pro-Serbian hackers.
Despite the gloomy picture, the total number of new viruses has actually been decreasing since a peak in 1997, according to mi2g.
However, new viruses are causing more havoc because of the number of computers that are now networked together.
"When one catches a cold the entire global organisation catches it," said Mr Matai.
I have given the same thing some thought myself. I think the thing is that in their lives, these people feel powerless, that their repeated experience is one of feeling that they 'lost' or 'failed' somehow.
So when the opportunity comes where they can artificially get to feel that they 'won' or 'succeeded' against others then they enter a zombie state where they spectate on themselves repeatedly masturbating this otherwise unused node in their brain.
I wonder how many of these people had older siblings, and because of this always felt that they were behind?
"To leave such an obvious troll in the submission smacks of amateurism"
I suspect that they added it rather than left it in - Slashdot editors think they are funny and a lot of slashdot users think they are elite...
go figure
XBoxen? Fucking lame d00d